Mauritania willing to participate in Belt and Road Initiative

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West African country Mauritania attaches great importance to China's role in international affairs and is willing to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz told visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the country's capital Nouakchott on Friday, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Wang conveyed the greetings of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Aziz and noted the Mauritanian president's successful visit to China in 2015.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R2) and his wife Peng Liyuan (R1) with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (L2) and his wife at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on September 14, 2015. /Xinhua Photo

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz in Beijing on September 15, 2015. /Xinhua Photo

China encourages its companies to strengthen cooperation in Mauritania in the fields of harbor construction, mineral development and the marine economy, Wang added.

Constructed by China, the Port of Friendship in Nouakchott is a great example of China-Africa cooperation, he said.

The Chinese foreign minister stressed that as developing countries, China and Mauritania should further enhance coordination and cooperation in international affairs, adding that China's vote at the United Nations always belongs to developing countries, including African ones.

The Port of Friendship in Nouakchott, Mauritania, was constructed by China from 1979 as the second biggest project among China's assistance constructions in Africa. /Xinhua Photo

Aziz expressed his gratitude for China's support and assistance over the past decades and said the accelerated development of bilateral ties had brought tangible benefits to Mauritanians.

Mauritania welcomes Chinese companies to invest in the country, he added.

Mauritania is willing to strengthen coordination with China on the reform of the UN Security Council so as to safeguard the interests of developing countries, particularly those in Africa, he said.

Aziz extended his greetings to Xi Jinping.

Wang also met with his Mauritanian counterpart Isselkou Ould Ahmed Izid Bih on Friday.

The Chinese foreign minister is on official visits to Mauritania, Cape Verde, Mali and Cote d'Ivoire until next Tuesday.